Old Review Storage

Category: Punk Reviews

Generally a bit behind the curve here at good ol’ Upstarter, I’m just now getting around to listening to Sleepwalk Me Home, the late 2017 release from The Jukebox Romantics. As wise wise people have espoused for millennia before me, better late than never.

I can’t say that I’ve listened to the band before. Well, I could say it, but it probably wouldn’t be truthful. If I have though, it was maybe on a comp, or I thought it was Blink 182 or something. With that said, the band captures the finer points of pop punk, namely being poppy, whilst being punk rock. Seriously though, 10 tracks, mostly under the three minute mark, stemming from a peppy rock trio? This is entirely up my alley.

The band lists Alkaline Trio and The Bouncing Souls as influences and I can definitely hear them, but I really pick up a Blink vibe. Maybe it’s in the way they sound so SoCal sardonic, despite being from downstate NY (I initially suspected this was a secret code for New Jersey) No matter. They sound good. They sound especially good if you like pop punk.

It’s funny, to me at least. My “reviews” have rather devolved to the point of, “here’s my opinions about things while I’m listening to this new (to me) music) I don’t know that it is expressly helpful to anyone at this point. I hope that it is.

Illicitor is a 3 piece punk/hardcore band born out of the ashes of prolific Las Vegas favorites: Holding Onto Sound. Their debut album arrived December 2017.

I was somewhat familiar with Holding Onto Sound (HOTS). I spent a little time listening to their music, an interview, and a review. I have also seen them perform live in the past, so I was excited to hear about illicitor. Stripped down 3-piece punk rock born from some familiar faces and voice. Thus far the self-titled debut does not disappoint.

The core of the nine tracks are uptempo punk rock with some hardcore aggression. There are some departures from the formula with track 4. The Body and The Dirt with its acoustic guitar and vocal intro, climbing into full arrangement and eventual insistence on a complete sonic uprising. For a trio, the soundscape is quite full. Studio magic goes a long way, but then again so does competent musicianship, none of which are in short supply on this release.

The band ticks a lot of boxes on my list of favorite rock and roll features: fast paced, trio, clear vocals, short tracks with a bit of grit. If you’re of a similar mind, and I know that you are, check out illicitor. I have no doubt that you will dig the hell out of them.

Nothing on the album gives me cause to be overly critical, but nothing can be completely perfect I suppose. There is a bit of psychedelic guitar noodling that I could probably live without, but overall a solid debut from Las Vegas’ illicitor.

I got this disc in a mail a couple weeks ago and put it into my drive, and that’s about as far as it got until today. Swhat, if you’ve not heard of them, are a 3 piece punk rock band from Ballarat, Australia. For you geography minded folks out there, Ballarat is about 120 km outside of Melbourne. … but back to the punk rock.

Wasty Tasty serves up 13 tracks of solid, slightly aggressive, somewhat lo-fi, yet well played, punk rock. As I’ve often professed, I’m a fan of the trio. I like the lean stripped down sound, and Swhat doesn’t disappoint in that regard.

That tracks offer traditional punk rock themes of suburban desolation, angst, and disillusion. Tradition aside, the accompanying music is layered in a fresh, often angularly juxtaposed, way to the lyrical content. … reminds me a bit of how some of the tracks on Voivod’s Nothingface are constructed, except with vocal delivery that reminds me of Descendents/All … a strange, likeable combination.

I’ve got a new demo (released September 2017) cued up at the moment. Let me tell you about it. The inconspicuously titled “Demo” by Material Remains holds five tracks of 80s flavored noisey, garagesque punk rockings. There’s not much info on the band, but I’m going to assume they are from TX, and based on the lineup listed, I’m firmly convinced that they are a trio.

There’s a solid vibe to the tracks, very lo-fi, and if I had to pick some resemblance, right now it’s really making me think of Nerve Agents (who are fucking rad) but again, it has a way more 80s lo-fi garage style to it. It’s a demo though, so these things are to be both expected and enjoyed.

There’s only 5 tracks, so you don’t get a big taste of the band, but I’m interested in how they’re going to progress. I’m hearing a solid foundation and I look forward to more. But don’t let me be the only voice you hear, listen for yourself: https://materialremainstx.bandcamp.com

Currently rocking to “Disapproved” by Kalik. Kalick is a punk rock trio, evidently with a like for ska as well. The band hails from Denmark and has been putting the rubber to the road since 2005.

Disapproved is their new EP and it punches hard with five uptempo punk and ska-esque tracks. I have a tendency to like trios, for a variety of reasons, the efficiency being one of them. Kalik is no exception, the rhythms are terse and punchy and no effort is wasted. Tracks are done in English, which seems to be the norm. Something that sadly also seems to be the current norm is commentary on the sorry state of US politics and the current “commander in chief” (not naming any names, but you know)

I will often use the space to describe influence and points of reference to give you an idea of what you’re getting yourself into, but I’ll be damned if I’m coming up with anything very exacting. It’s punk rock. After damn near 40 years of punk, it kind of sounds like a lot of different things. I think a more important point is that it’s good. The tracks are played well, and the vocals aren’t devolved into a mass or strangled screams, so I declare it good to fucking go!

Debut album from Helsinki Finland act, Buzzkills. 12 tracks of punk/punkbilly from up near the top of the word.

As always, it thrills me to get to hear bands from all around the world. Buzzkills is no exception. Here I am in sunny SoCal and listening to a band from damn near the other side of the world. I’ve never been to Finland, but here I am participating in a little bit of their culture, by way of an offering into our common culture of music.

Buzzkillz deliver a solid blend of rock, punk, and rockabilly. They’re an interesting ensemble in that they are a four-piece rock and roll band with the tradition lineup of vocals, guitar, bass, drums. Where the band differs is in their use of double bass as opposed to electric. The overall effect reminds me a bit of The Peacocks, but, well, different.

Tracks mid to uptempo, with a blend of Western rock / cowpunk, reminisicient in a way of Social Distortion, or perhaps more Mike Ness solo. The tracks are sung in English, so as to be more accessible to a larger audience.

The band indicates that they will have new material coming out at the end of the year, so go check out their debut and get in on the ground floor. Tell all your friends that you heard ‘em before they were cool!

The initial and ongoing devastation from Hurricane Harvey has led to a desperate and frightening situation in Houston and the surrounding areas. The storm will eventually die down and people will try to pick up the pieces of their lives. Long after the storm passes, the ones who have been displaced will be in need of as much assistance as they can possibly get. If you are in any position to help financially, please consider making a donation to the Houston Food Bank. People need our help, now and going forward.

GODS.GUTTERS.STONES, the new EP from The Orphan (Melbourne Australia) blasts out three tracks of noisy garage hardcore. The tracks are an intense wash of sound to the point of being a blur. Sounds jab at you from all directions leaving you reeling from the sonic assault. Each track bleeds into the next as you begin to bleed from your ears. Individual tracks are representative of the triumvirate title, with the final track, “Stones” bringing the EP to a grinding guttural conclusion. Listen at your peril.

I’m rocking out to the brand new deluxe edition of the previously released, plain and boring old edition, of an EP from Providence-based punk band Senior Discount entitled, And That’s Goodbye. Did you hear me? I SAID DELUXE! It’s got guts, it’s got cuts. It’s got some sonofbitchin comedy, in the form of hillbilly renditions of some of the band’s previous material.

Well it’s been a year or two since I’ve heard from these Providence punkers, but they are back with some fine new block rockin’ beats. In addition to the aforementioned beats, there are a lot of covers, performed in a manner in which can only be described as cover tunes of Senior Discount songs, as performed by Senior Discount.

I know that maybe sounds kind of weird, but there is also a cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, which can best be described as a cover of a Cyndi Lauper song as performed by Senior Discount. So, ya know, take it for what it’s worth.

Seriously though, the band puts in the effort. The tracks are punchy and punky, but with a depth and sincerity that is often lacking in a lot of crap you are gonna hear on shitrock radio. There are also a lot of acoustic tracks and instrumental breaks, pointing to the fact that these folks really can play. That isn’t to say that the band takes themselves too seriously. They just sometimes sound serious.

At any rate, there’s a DELUXE version of “And That’s Goodbye” available, and that’s as DELUXE is the whole goddamn world gets! Go find a copy, ideally at a live show in your neck of the woods. … if that doesn’t work for ya, check ‘em out here: www.seniordiscountmusic.com

Our first album “There Were Four Who Tried…“, has gotten positive reviews from all over the US (and internationally), including very positive reviews from Maximum Rock N Roll(CA), which boasted, “These guys can rock and scream….a strong full-length,” and the revered AbsolutePunk.net, which stated “The band really acts out their emotions….Every track from the album is an anthem to punk rock’s principles.” Our second release received the comment “These guys slay on record and live!” from mash-up DJ sensation Girl Talk.

We also focus heavily on film production, as we’ve used short films to promote for our shows and releases. Our one full-length film (“VBW Attack: The Senior Discount Movie“) was reviewed by The Noise (Boston) which reported “…let’s just say that this DVD is gold and that the band, and those with them, have some mighty winds at their sails.” The national television network G4 has bought and aired footage from the film. The band has totalled around 40,000 views on their streaming video sites.

Upon the release of our newest package, the CD/DVD “This is Not the End,” Upstarter (CA) said “The band has developed an obvious maturity….serious and sincere” while The Noise (Boston) called the album “smart, loco, epic punk…a pleasant assemblage of earnest songrcraft.” In the past year, the band played some dates of theSka Goes Solo tour with the singers of Less Than Jake and Catch 22, while Senior Discount lead singer Chuck Staton played solo shows with Chuck Ragan (The Revival Tour/Hot Water Music), Dave Hause (The Loved Ones), and Kris Roe (The Ataris). We were recently nominated for Best Pop Punk Band in Motif Magazine.

Angular is the new curve, at least a curve on the regular old garage punk you’ve been jamming up your ear-orifices lately. To alter that in a direction that maybe you’ll enjoy, I offer, Pink Muscles new LP “The Signal.” 14 tracks of absolutely mental psych-garage-punk-noise. It is angular as fuck!

The band hails from Seattle, and that is about all I know of them, aside from the album that I’m listening to right now. Best I can tell you is that I’m getting a vibe. I don’t know what the vibe means or represents. I mean it might be a drug flashback, or maybe it’s a flash forward to drugs I may be required to do in the future. It really is hard to tell.

The music is swirling and shouty, punctuated with computer-like, precision supersonics. It’s as though a less distorted, or perhaps differently distorted Al Jourgensen was fronting for an alternate history of Voivoid ala Dimension Hatröss, throw in some Prong outtakes of Steady Decline for good measure. Does that give you a feel for what’s going on here? Yeah, probably not. I think you’re just gonna have to give ‘em a listen.

The tunes are brief, but in the time allotted, they go in a myriad of directions, sometimes simultaneously. Frenetic like Mr. Bungle, but not so circusy, more robotic. However, the scattered, yet robotic nature of the music belies its underlying humanity, humanity that is in end stage. It feels like a world in breakdown mode and from these crumbling ruins a new world will rise, Phoenix-like, with more printed circuits and transistors the next time around.

At the end of the day, if you like your music odd, and noisy, and something that will still probably scare the crap out of your parents, teachers, friends, and neighbors, then by all means, give The Signal, by Pink Muscles a whirl.